Penarth and District Lesotho Trust secures funding from town council

PENARTH and District Lesotho Trust is set to benefit from £500 worth of funding that will go towards improving an orphanage in the African country.

Penarth Town Council approved their application for financial assistance during a town twinning committee meeting on Wednesday, July 2.

Councillor Michael Cuddy, who gave his backing to the application and recommended £500 out of the council’s £1,800 budget, said: “I have only visited Africa once when I went to Malawi, and when you go there you realise the problems they face in their lives.”

A request had been made to Penarth Town Council by the Youth Branch of the Penarth and District Lesotho Trust for support for their fundraising efforts. The charity supports three partner schools in Lesotho, one of which has an attached orphanage. Their fundraising is used to provide equipment, help to refurbish buildings and buy food for the school with the orphanage.

The priority for funding this year is to build a separate girls dormitory at the orphanage as currently the children are in mixed accommodation with cramped conditions. The money donated will go towards providing equipment including pens and calculators for the schools. The youth branch is also keen to improve the water supply in the orphanage as it currently only has one tap.

After the committee approved the application the chair of the meeting, councillor Janice Birch, said: “It should make them very happy.”